


Vilkas/ Reader: I Hate That I Like You

by SerenityRiver12



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-26 17:45:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19010722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenityRiver12/pseuds/SerenityRiver12
Summary: (I do not claim to own the game or any affiliated characters from the franchise.)You have recently joined the Companions, but one of the members has gone out of their way to make you feel unwelcome.It doesn’t take long before things go too far...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally posted on my DeviantArt about 3 years ago, and I am finally posting it here too!
> 
> Everything is told from the readers' perspective, and I have specifically  
> left it without any clues as to what your character looks like.  
> This way, you can choose how you look without seeing things like (e/c) or (name).  
> I have also made it so your name is never mentioned, since that is how it is in the actual game.  
> There may be times where I switch to Vilkas's p.o.v
> 
> Thank you for reading! Please leave comments and share!

“I’m leaving, Kodlak."

_I have no choice. If I stay here any longer, I'm going to end up seriously hurting him…or worse._

"I see. Is this because of-"

"Yes."

He thought for a moment and sighed. "I doubt there is anything that can be said to change your mind."

"Thank you for understanding, Kodlak. I will leave tonight." I bow before leaving and head to the room where the new recruits sleep. It didn't have to happen like this.

After packing my things, except for a few items, I went up to the main hall. I tried to avoid looking at anyone but I could feel their eyes on me. Everyone heard what was said...or rather, screamed. If Farkas and Aela weren't there...I don't even want to think about it.

"Hey...hey!"

Aela was waving her hand in front of my face. "You still there?"

"Oh, sorry Aela. I was just...thinking."

She sighed, knowing full well what I was thinking about.

"Honestly, you shouldn't let him get to you. He’s like this with all the new recruits...”

"I have a hard time believing that...”

She gave me a soft smile, "Hey, I'm going on a job to clear out a bandit camp. Want to tag along?"

I smirked. She always knows what to say to cheer me up.

"Sure, the one with the fewest kills buys the drinks."

 

~~~~

 

The thrill of the hunt is unlike anything I've ever felt. The surge of energy that makes you hyper aware of your surroundings, how your heart races with excitement...

_3 down._

The wet, hollow sound of an arrow piercing through armor.

_2 more._

The slick, ripping sounds of a blade cutting through flesh.

_4 more._

Every hit ebbs away the pain and worry. It makes me forget.

_Last one._

It feels good, even if it's only for a while.

As I kill the last one, I turn to Aela. “I count six, what did you get?"

“I got four. You’ve gotten faster since we last hunted together."

I chuckled as I finished looting the bodies. "I hope you have enough money for tonight."

Aela laughed "as long as I don't have to clean up when you get sick."

 

~~~~

 

After we got back to hold, I let Aela go on ahead to report. I needed to sell off some of the loot and get my armor repaired. I normally repair it myself at the Warmaiden's, but the last time I was there I had a slight disagreement with Adrianne. Let’s just say that I’m not allowed to use her forge for the next few months while she fills the army requisitions. I have a fair amount of gold now, which is nice after spending so much on Breezehome. It’s a bit small, but it suits me for the time being.

_Maybe one day I’ll have enough money to build my own place. Somewhere warm._

Ok, now it’s time to visit Eorlund Gray-Mane at the Skyforge. Some days when I have nothing to do, I like to go up there and just watch. It’s surprisingly quiet there except for the whoosh of the bellows and the clang of steel.

“Hey, Eorlund. How are things?”

"Got a lot of steel to shape."

“Seems like that’s all you ever do…”

He sighed, “What brings you here?”

“I was wondering if you could repair my armor?” I took it off, leaving me in my cloth clothes.

“By Ysmir's beard, it looks like it’s going to fall apart.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t have your own forge. I can’t use the one at Warmaiden’s again.”

“Fine. Set it over there.”

“Thank you, Eorlund.”

I went back to my house to find something to wear until my armor was fixed. I wanted to wear something nice tonight. Something I wouldn’t normally wear.

Tonight was special.

Today is my birthday.

 

~~~~

 

I got dressed in some tavern clothes I used to wear when I worked as a bard. Back then, I could be anyone I wanted to be. A new place, a new name. Since tonight is special, I decided to let my hair down instead of keeping it tied back, and I took off my war paint. After I made sure I looked ok, I headed for the Bannered Mare. It was a little chilly, but not so much that it bothered me. The place was livelier than it normally is. As I looked around for Aela, I noticed a few people staring at me. It felt weird to not have my armor protecting me. I finally spotted her in the back corner and sat across from her.

“Hey Aela, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

“Hm?...oh, it’s you! I barely recognized you.”

“I know. I think most of the people in here don’t recognize me. It feels weird to not be in my armor…”

We order some drinks and listen to the gossip from the nearby patrons.

“So what’s with the outfit?”

“Oh, well…I decided to wear something nice since my armor is getting repaired.”

“Why? What’s the occasion?”

“…today is my…birthday…”

“It’s your birthday?! Why didn’t you say so earlier? We could have put together a party.”

“I’m really not one for big parties…besides, I don’t think some of the companions are happy with me.”

“Oh who cares? It’s your special day!”

After a few hours and several drinks, we had the whole tavern celebrating my birthday.

 

~~~~

 

Things were going pretty well, until Vilkas and Farkas walked in. they looked tired, like they just got back from job. I did my best to ignore them…that is, until they sat with us.

“Aela, what’s going on here? And who’s your pretty friend?”

Before Aela could answer, I chimed in, “We are celebrating, ice-brain.”

That sounded colder than I intended. Farkas is nice enough, but Vilkas is a pain in the butt.

“Wha- oh, sorry whelp. I didn’t recognize you.”

Vilkas just stared at me, quietly.

“That makes two of us. You both look worse for wear.”

Farkas chuckled. “Yeah, we cleared out a giant’s camp...”

“So what are you all celebrating?”

Just hearing Vilkas’ voice bothered me.

“It’s her birthday.”

I groaned. “Aela! Why don’t you just shout it to all of Whiterun?”

She laughed at me. I know the alcohol is getting to me because I started laughing with her. We all spent the next few hours drinking and telling stories. Vilkas was oddly quiet. Sometimes I would catch him looking at me, but I didn’t care anymore. I stopped caring after the…10th drink? I can’t remember.

 

~~~~

 

My vision is a little blurry now. I staggered up out of my chair. Someone caught me before I fell. I thought it was so funny.

“Riight, I thnk is time fer me to go hoome.”

I stumbled out of the Bannered Mare with someone holding on to me. They were leading me back to Jorrvaskr. I pulled away from them.

“Nuuu, I don’t stay there an’more.”

They asked me why. I did my best to make a scowl,

“…’Cause of Vilkas. Everyone knows he don’t like me, so I moove out.”

I started walking towards my house, stumbling a few times before I felt their hands on my arm again. They mumbled something and kept me from falling while I led them to the house. I tried to look at them, but it was too dark to see. After fumbling around for my keys, we finally got inside.

The rest is a blur.


	2. Chapter 2

Everything felt fuzzy. I couldn’t remember what happened…

_What was that loud banging??_

I did not want to get out of bed. Everything felt icky. My arm hurt too.

_Wait…my arm?_

I carefully peeled the covers off me, wincing as the bright light made the pain in my head worse. There were a couple small bruises forming on my upper arm.

 _Gods, what happened last night?_ _I vaguely remember walking home…wasn’t someone with me?_

I carefully sat up and started looking through my nightstand. I always kept a few healing potions nearby, just in case. Geez, just uncorking the bottle sounded loud. I drank at least half of it before setting it down. Why couldn’t anyone come up with a nice tasting potion? I settled back in bed, hoping to sleep more of this off…

That hope quickly vanished when the banging resumed.

“Open up!”

_Who the hell could that be? If I wasn’t so hung over, I’d burn them to a crisp._

I slowly got up, bracing myself against the nightstand in case I got dizzy. I took my blanket and wrapped it around me as I walked down the stairs. Whoever was at my door was going to pay. I opened the door slightly and glared at the person with the loud voice. It was Aela.

“It’s about time! We were wondering what happened when you didn’t return.”

I groaned, “Not so loud, please…”

She crossed her arms and smirked. “I’m not surprised, considering how much you drank last night…”

I opened the door for her to step inside.

“So do you remember what happened last night?”

I sat down in the chair near the bookshelf.

“Does it look like I do?”

She sat across from me and laughed, “I guess not…but I know something happened.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because Vilkas returned after we did. He wouldn’t talk to anyone and he left early this morning on a contract.”

I tried to remember what happened after I got home, but I couldn’t.

“Wait, what does Vilkas have to do with this?”

“Really? You don’t remember?”

“Obviously not.”

“Right. I am assuming that he’s the one that helped you home last night.”

I felt my cheeks warm.

_Wait, am I blushing? Why would I do that?_

Then I remembered.

 

~~Flashback to last night~~

 

“Nuuu, I don’t stay there an’more.”

They asked me why.

I did my best to make a scowl, “…’Cause of Vilkas. Everyone knows he don’t like me, so I moove out.”

 

~~~~

 

I facepalmed.

_I am such an idiot._

“damnit…”

Aela gave me a questioning look.

“…I know why he is acting strange…”

“Why?”

“…I told him I moved out of Jorrvaskr because of him.”

“What?? Why did you do that?”

“I was so drunk I didn’t know it was him!”

She sighed. “Well, do you know what happened after?”

“Maybe I will remember later, once my head stops trying to kill me.”

She stood up to leave, “do you need anything before I head out?”

“Just rest.”

“Very well. I will have someone check in on you later.”

Aela showed herself out and I went back to bed.

_Why do I feel like I did something wrong? What happened last night?_

 

~~~~

 

I awoke a few hours later, feeling a little better. My head no longer wanted to kill me, but I was still sore. I finished what was left of the potion before my stomach announced the face that I had not eaten all day. Halfway down the stairs I slipped, but I caught myself in time.

_Wait…_

I laid my arm parallel to the stairs. The bruises that were now a bit bigger aligned with the edges of the steps.

_Now I remember…_

 

~~Flashback~~

 

“maybe you should sit down…”

“maybe yooou, shud *hic* be more fuun Mr. brood”

“…what did you call me?”

I laughed, “aww, did I push the brooooding nords buttons?”

In a blink, he was just a few inches in front of me. I tried to back up, but my leg hit the step and I fell back on the stairs.

 

~~~~

 

_Man…what was that look he gave me?_

My stomach reminded me why I came downstairs.

“Maybe some soup would be nice.”

After looking around in the cupboards for a few minutes, I found some Tomato that looked like they would go bad soon, some salt, a few pieces of garlic, and a Leek.

~~~~

 

After I finished eating, I remembered I left some stuff back at the Companions Hall, including my armor. “I might as well pick that up and check with Farkas for jobs.”

I changed into some mage robes before heading out.

 

~~~~

 

“What brings you here?”

“Did you find time to work on my armor?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah. It’s over there.”

“Thanks.”

“So I heard you left.”

“Well… technically, I didn’t. I am still a part of the Companions but I am no longer sleeping under that roof.”

He grunted. “Hm. Too bad. If you left, I was going to charge you for the repairs.”

“In money or work?”

He rolled his eyes at me.“Hm.”

“Nice talking to you too, Eorlund.”

Now to get my things. Hopefully the other recruits didn’t go-

“Uhf.”

I stumbled back after walking into something.

“Hey whelp, watch where you’re going.”

It was Farkas.

“H-hey Farkas, sorry ‘bout that…”

He glared at me. “What are you doing here? Didn’t you leave?”

“Just because I chose to sleep in my own house, that doesn’t mean I’ve left the Companions.”

He just stared at me, silently. It was a bit unnerving. He didn’t just look mad but…concerned?

I shook my head, “anyway, do you have any jobs for me?”

“…yeah, someone’s been causing trouble for people. I just need you to go out there, look tough, and scare this milk drinker into submission."

He handed me a paper with a name and location.

“Thanks. I’ll be back soon.”

With that, I went back home, changed into my gear, and headed out to punch someone’s face in. jobs like this are fun, but I much prefer the slow, painful killing. I wish they would give some more dangerous jobs…

 

~~~~

 

The job wasn’t too bad. At least I got some money out of it. One of the punches the guy landed caught me off guard, and split my lip. It wasn’t that bad. I could have healed it, but I thought a scar would make me look more intimidating. I filled out a couple more contracts before taking a day off. I haven’t seen Vilkas for a few days. While I wasn’t disappointed, I felt a little bad. I still couldn’t remember what happened and I was quite certain that I did something to really piss him off. I didn’t feel bad that I upset him, but when I put him in a bad mood, Farkas sometimes gets upset with me. That bothered me because he is one of the people that invited me to try joining the companions.

Someone was knocking on my door.

On my day off.

I got up and answered. It was Farkas.

“Do you need something?”

“Skjor has a job for you.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know. Go ask him.”

I said goodbye and put my gear on before heading to the Companion hall. Maybe I will finally get a better contract that’s not just busy work.

 

~~~~

 

I found Skjor…he was talking to Vilkas. I guess he got back from his contract.

“There you are!”

“Skjor, Farkas said you needed me?”

“Yeah…Haafingar seems to have trouble keeping their prisoners in line. One of them's escaped, and you're going to find that coward."

I smiled, “Finally, I get a fun contract.”

“You and Vilkas will go track down the prisoner and deal with them.”

My smiled quickly disappeared. “…what? You’re making me go on a job…with him?”

“If you have a problem, take it up with Kodlak, but I have a feeling he will agree with me.”

I crossed my arms, silently fuming. My week was going so well till this.

Vilkas grunted, “We leave at dawn, whelp.”

“Ugh, whatever, you broody Nord.” I could feel him glaring daggers at the back of my head as I left. This was going to be a long trip…

 

~~~~

 

I packed a bag that night. It’s a very long trip to Solitude, and I’ll be damned if I have to tolerate him for the entire trip without some form of alcohol.

_Food, check._

_Booze, check._

_Blanket, check._

_Potions, check._

…I have this nagging feeling that I’m forgetting something. Maybe I’ll remember later. Before heading to bed, I made sure my weapons were clean and sharp. I had a new poison I’ve been dying to try, and this criminal would be the perfect test subject.

 

~~~~

 

I yawned as I waited by the stables. I still felt tired.

“Whelp, are you ready?”

I didn’t bother to look at him. “Yeah, are we taking horses or walking?”

“I can’t stand riding. Besides, walking will wake you up.”

Darn. At least on a horse, I could doze off.

“…whatever. Let’s go.”

 

~~~~

 

As we passed Fort Graymoor, we were attacked by bandits. Thank the Nines. I was feeling so frustrated with the silence, I needed to kill something. They didn’t have much loot on them, but it wasn’t a loss.

“Hey broody, should we clear out the rest of the fort, or keep going?”

He growled, “Stop calling me that.”

“Stop brooding then.”

“Hmf. We keep moving.”

“Fine.”

Yep. This was going to be a long trip. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

We were coming up to a path that split off the main road. That’s when it hit me. Sleeping tree camp was nearby and I had collected a bounty for the giant there. I stopped and took out my map.

“…Whelp, what are you doing?”

“I’m checking on something.”

He stopped walking and stared at me. After studying the map, I went up and showed it to Vilkas.

“Now, if we take this path, we can take care of my bounty and avoid the Forsworn around Fort Sungard…”

He silently thought about my suggestion.

“...And we can shave a few hours off our travel time.”

“…fine.”

Now that surprised me. I honestly did not expect his consent.

“Let’s go then.”

 

~~~~

 

We snuck around the camp, carful to not let the giant see us. I pulled out my bow, and tipped the arrow with a paralysis poison. I drew back my bow and lined up the shot.

_Patience…_

The arrow struck the giant in the leg and it fell back.

“Now!”

Vilkas ran out and attacked it. I stayed back and shot it with poison arrows. We took it down with few injuries to ourselves. I looted the giant for proof of its death and searched the camp. In the cave nearby, there was the body of an Orc, apparently killed by a giant.

As I searched him, I found a note that read:

_Don't try to stiff me on this deal, Ulag. I can talk the Khajiit caravans into a better price than you'd be able to, and the guards are still looking for you after that little skooma incident. Just bring the sap to my stall in Whiterun like we discussed. -Ysolda_

_…What sap?_

I looked around the camp and saw a rather large tree in a pool of water. It had a weird purple glow.

_Maybe this is the tree?_

I managed to find some bottles and fill them with the sap.

“Are you done yet, whelp?”

I didn’t feel like being witty, so I just put the stuff in my pack and got back on our path.

 

~~~~

 

I should have bought more food back in Rorikstead. I was starving, and we were still a couple hours away from Dragon Bridge. I was also a bit beat up after fighting several bandits and a dragon. Man, every time I’m on a contract, at least one shows u out of nowhere. Although, they’ve been showing up more frequently lately. Vilkas has been pretty quiet since we faced that dragon…

 

~flashback~

“you are weak, whelp.”

“Hey! It’s not my fault! Sword and shield are not my weapons of choice.”

“It is your fault! There is no way in oblivion I would ever trust a weakling like you to watch my back!”

I could feel the fire burning in my throat. I am not weak. You have no idea what I’ve been through. I screamed as I ran to him. The force that flew from my lips threw him down the hall, breaking a table.

~end flashback~

 

I didn’t intend for that to happen… some of the members, including Vilkas, were not happy that I was the Dragonborn everyone has been talking about. Kodlak apparently already knew. I guess Jarl Balgruuf told him. I shook my head to banish my thoughts. It does no good to worry about that. What’s done is done.

“Hey…”

“What?”

“Did you have any questions about dragons or…what I am?”

“No.”

“…ok.”

Well that failed.

There’s just no working with him…

 

~~~~

 

As soon as Dragon Bridge came into view, I wanted to run the rest of the way there. Unfortunately, I was too exhausted, hungry, and sore. All I wanted was to get a room at Four Shields Tavern, get some food and rest before continuing on. Vilkas wanted to keep going…as expected, that lead to an argument.

“We need to keep going, whelp.”

“well Mr. Brood, I am tired, hungry and sore after that last battle, and I am resting here whether you like it or not!” I turned and walked off to the tavern.

It wasn’t too crowded for a tavern, but the bard sounds a little tone-deaf.

I walked up to the bar, “I’d like to rent a room, please.”

“Sure. That will be 10 gold.”

Vilkas walks up behind me, “I’ll have one too.”

“I’m sorry, but we only have the one room left. Are you two together?”

I rolled my eyes, “we are just traveling together.”

“Oh, I see…this is all I have left so-“

“It’s not an issue,” Vilkas interrupted.

I paid the owner as he went into the room.

“At least it’s big enough…” I sighed as I set my pack in the corner.

“So who gets th-“

“I’ll take the floor,” Vilkas interrupted.

“Are you sure? I don’t min-“

“Your wounds are more likely to get infected if you sleep on the floor, so take the bed.”

I felt my ears warm.

_He’s being considerate? Or maybe he’s just doing this to avoid getting in trouble._

“…I’m going to go out for a bit.”

It felt strange being in there. I need to buy some food anyway…maybe some of the soldiers have some information on our escaped prisoner.

 

~~~~

 

Soldiers are stubborn, but stupid. They wouldn’t answer my questions, but they were quick to help me once I pretended to feel ill and faint. They left me alone in the room just long enough to go through their records. After I managed to get away from them, I bought some more food and picked up a couple potions before heading back to the room. Vilkas was laying on the floor reading a book.

“I got us more food for the road.”

I waited for a response from him as I put the food on one of the dressers. He was either too invested in whatever he was reading, or he was purposely ignoring me. I sighed as I pulled a bottle of wine from my pack and sat on the bed. I finished about half of it before I fell asleep.

 

~~~~

 

I woke up a few hours later a little groggy and my side was hurting.

_Damn. I forgot to clean up before sleeping._

I carefully got out of bed and stepped around Vilkas’ sleeping form sprawled on the floor. I pulled some bandages out from my pack and quietly stepped out. There was a slight chill in the night air, but it was pleasant. I found a nice spot on the riverbank to clean up without being seen. The wound was starting to scab to my shirt, so I had to carefully peel that off before I could clean it. The feeling of the cloth rubbing against raw skin stung, but I tried to distract myself from the pain by thinking about the next step in our contract.

 

~Vilkas POV~

I woke up to find the whelp not in bed. I was tempted to lock the door and take the bed for myself. I’ve slept on stone floors that were softer than this…

 

~flashback~ 

“We leave at dawn, whelp.”

“Ugh, whatever, you broody Nord.”

I glared at her as she walked away. Gods, that brat knows just how to piss me off.

“Vilkas,” Skjor said, regaining his attention.

“Yeah?”

“While Kodlak doesn’t doubt her abilities as a fighter, he wants you to keep an eye on her.”

“Why me? What about Aela or Farkas?”

“She is the Dragonborn, and there are people who would like to see her ‘disappear’.”

“I still don’t see why I have to babysit her.”

“Kodlak thinks this will help you learn to work together and not try to kill each other.”

“…fine,” I grunted.

This was going to be a long trip…

~end flashback~

 

After a few minutes, I decided to look for her. After all, Aela would kick my ass if something happened to the whelp. As I stepped outside, I sniffed the air, trying to track her scent. It didn’t take long to find the source of the blood smell. I had found her by the water… with no shirt on. I stood a few feet back from her. I was going to call out to her…until the moonlight creped from behind the clouds, illuminating her back. There was a large burn in the middle of her back, like she was hit with a fireball. I couldn’t help but stare. I hadn’t noticed it that night I helped her home.

~end POV~

 

I managed to get the bandage secured with how little light I had. Next time, I’m doing this before I sleep. As I got up to leave, I was surprised to see Vilkas standing behind me.

“…what?" 

He blinked. “It’s not safe for you to be out by yourself at night…”

I rolled my eyes at him and started walking back to the room. I didn’t feel like fighting with him this late at night. I just wanted to go back to bed. Vilkas followed me back to the room. He was quiet. That made me a little uncomfortable. I carefully climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to my chin, laying on my side towards the wall. It was dark and quiet in the room, except for the soft noises outside the door.

“…hey, whelp…”

“Yes, Vilkas?”

“How did you get that scar on your back?”

“…I was in Helgen when the dragon attacked. I was trying to follow one of the soldiers along a stone wall, when it came up from behind it…and breathed fire.”

I reached around and carefully ran my fingers along the edges of the scars.

“…had I been a few seconds slower, I would be dead.”

Vilkas stayed quiet. I guess he was processing what I had said.

“…did anyone make it out?”

“Just a few Stormcloaks and the Jarl of Windhelm. Everyone else either died in the fires…or were killed by the dragon.”

He didn’t ask anything more, and I soon felt myself falling asleep.

 

~~~~

 

We got up early the next day…or at least Vilkas did. When I woke, he wasn’t there. I took this chance to get dressed and adjust my bandages. Luckily he came into the room just when I finished. He tossed some food at me.

“Eat up, we’re heading out.”

If I wasn’t hungry, I would have tossed it back at him. It wasn’t even food I liked…

 

~~~

 

It was a bit chilly outside, more so than last night. After a couple hours, the cold started to get to me.

“How can you stand this?”

I said, shivering. He just grunted. I don’t think I’m going to get any conversation out of him. I pulled the reports I “borrowed” from the soldiers. It seems the criminal was last seen heading west of Solitude towards… The Thalmor Embassy.

_Great._

Now I know not all Altmer are stuck-up supremacists, but I have every reason to hate them…The last thing I want to do is go near that place. Just being inside it all dressed up was too much. I had to take on several jobs after that incident just to keep them from trying to find me. I tried not to think about it and looked at the map. Bandits will sometimes hide escaped prisoners, so I looked for forts or camps that would be near the embassy. Ironback Hideout seemed the most likely place for the prisoner to hide. Now I just had to figure out how we can get there without getting caught by the Thalmor.

 

~~~~

 

As we got close to Wolfskull cave, I stopped to look at the map.

“Whelp, come on.” Vilkas growled.

“Shh!”

He walked up to me, looking irritated. “Why are you looking at that? I know where we are going.”

“I’m trying to look for a way around.”

“There is no ‘way around’…”

“…We could go around this way.”

I pointed out a ‘route’ that would take us west towards Fort Haggstad, then back east towards the Steed Stone.

“That would take us all day! It’s easier just to go east, up this road.”

I really didn’t want to. I knew there would be patrols up ahead, and I really don’t want to get caught…

_But I don’t think I have a choice…I can’t tell him why…_

“…Fine, but if we run into Thalmor, I’m blaming you.”

“Whatever whelp, just get moving.”

 

~~~~

 

I walked closer to Vilkas as we came near the Embassy. Luckily I had a hood with me, so if any patrols saw us, they wouldn’t be able to recognize me right away.

“Whelp, you’re crowding me.”

“Shhh. Just deal with it till we get to Ironback Hideout.”

He grunted in response, clearly not comfortable with how close I was.

 

~~~~ 

When we got to the hideout, we took them by surprise. The fight was disappointing, but at least we looted some good stuff and killed the target.

~~~~

 

We got about halfway back to Whiterun when I realized something… We have not run into any Thalmor. This worried me. I would have expected them to look for me after the incident at the Embassy. Either they haven’t been able to track me down… or they have been watching me and waiting for the right moment…

“Someone’s up ahead, whelp.”

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked ahead. Just my luck. A Thalmor Justiciar, a couple guards, and a prisoner. I tried to walk close to Vilkas in the hopes they don’t notice me. As they passed us, one of the guards looked right at me. I quickly looked at the ground.

_I wish we took a different path._

The Justiciar called us to stop. I placed my hand on one of my daggers when we stopped.

He came up to me, “what is your name?”

I stayed silent.

“You will answer me when I ask you a quest-“

“Why are you bothering us? Don’t you have some poor soul to torture?” Vilkas chimed, agitation in his voice.

Before the Justiciar could respond, my blade was at his throat.

“Choose your next words very carefully, Justiciar trash.”

He scowled at me, “I thought it was you. Someone has gone through a great deal of trouble to track down his property-“ He went flying as I kicked him.

_I am no one’s property._

As soon as I kicked him, the guards attacked us.

 

~~~~

 

The guards were dead, the prisoner freed, and the Justiciar was trying to crawl away. _No. he’s not getting off easy._ I stopped him by grinding my heel into the gash on his back. He let out a pained whine, trying not to scream.

“I’m sorry, am I causing you pain? It’s not nearly as much as you deserve…”

I turned him over to face me.

“You should have kept walking. Now, you’re going to see something special.”

I smiled wickedly and took a breath. His face grew pale as he saw sparks fly from my lips.

“YOL!”

 

~~~~

 

I watched and waited till the screams stopped. After looting the bodies, I pulled out some parchment and charcoal, and placed a note on one of the guards.

As we walked, Vilkas turned to me.

"What did you write?"

"I said, 'The next Justiciar I see will suffer a fate worse than being burned alive.' I couldn't think of anything catchy."

 

~~~~

 

We decided to set up camp for the night. I was just settling down when Vilkas spoke up.

“So what happened back there?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know damn well what I mean…”

“He was bothering me. And why do you care? We freed one of your countrymen.”

“…when he said property, what did he mean?”

My stomach turned when he said that word.

“It’s none of your business.”

“Did you steal something from-“

“Drop it. Now.”

“…Fine.”

I felt kind of bad for snapping at him, but I had no interest in talking about my past.

Some things are better left buried.


	4. Chapter 4

**~Start Dream~**

My eyes were blurry and my fingers felt like they were going to bleed. I’ve been practicing this one music piece for hours and the instructor would not let me stop till I played it perfectly. The thin metal band of a collar around my neck made it hard to concentrate. The instructor yelled at me when my finger slipped. Tears threatened to escape from my eyes, but crying would only make it worse. Justicar Aediath just sat there. He’s been watching for the last few hours. The lesson won’t end unless I get it perfect, or he orders it. I was tired, hungry and my fingers were raw from the strings…

_Wait, why am I here?_

I stopped playing. He was going to strike me, but the Justicar stopped him and ordered him to leave. He made me sit and took my hands to inspect them. My fingertips were bright red. He started kissing them. I tried to pull my hands free, but his grip tightened. He pushed closer to me.

_No, this can’t be real._

As I struggled to get him off me, I thought of Hallas. I focused on a spell he taught me, and a small blue light emanated from my hands, forming into a ward. It got him off me…But his expression turned to one of anger. In a flash, he had me pinned against the wall, holding me up by my neck. As I tried to pry his hand off my neck, he squeezed tighter, making it harder to breath.

_Hallas, where are you?_

**~End Dream~**

 

I woke up to a figure leaning over me. I quickly pushed him off and tried to crawl away.

“Hey! It’s just me!”

I leaned up against a nearby tree, coughing. My mind was still fuzzy, and it took me a minute to remember where I was.

_I_ _t was all a dream. Thank the gods_.

Vilkas kneeled next to me. “Whelp, you okay?”

I nodded.

“You’re shaking…”

I didn’t realize I was. I tried to take deep breaths and steady myself.

“It’s okay, take your time.”

After I calmed down, Vilkas handed me a cloth.

“Dry your eyes and go back to bed.”

_Dry my…_

I touched my face. I had been crying without noticing. I took the cloth and cleaned off my face. I offered it back to him.

“Just keep it.”

We went back to our bedrolls. It was still fresh in my mind, so I couldn’t fall asleep… or rather, I didn’t want to. I just laid there, awake. I had hoped that the nightmares were gone for good. It’s been a while since I last had a nightmare like that. The fire was still going, but it was dim enough that I couldn’t see where he was. I kept sniffing, trying to clear my nose so I didn’t have to breathe through my mouth. I heard what sounded like someone moving around. I guess it was Vilkas because it was moving closer. I was shocked to find that he got up and moved his bedroll next to mine.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything… just thought you would feel better if someone was close by.”

It did make me feel a bit better. I was used to sleeping alone before I joined the companions, but I guess after I got used to sleeping in a room with four other people, I realized just how lonely it was to be by myself. It took a while, but I eventually fell asleep.

 

~~~~

 

When I woke up, the sun had already been up for a few hours. There was a slight chill in the air still so I moved closer to the warmth behind me.

_Wait, warmth? My bedroll doesn’t usually keep me this warm…_

The warmth was not just behind me, it was also on my neck and around my waist. I turned my head to look behind me. …it was Vilkas. He was still asleep, and holding me. I froze. I didn’t know what to do. Should quietly get up? Should I wake him?

I didn’t have to do anything. He woke up and looked right at me.

“Hey.”

“…hey…um… what are you doing in my bedroll?”

“I think you’ll find that you’re actually in MY bedroll.”

I sat up and looked around. My bedroll was just a couple feet away. I felt my face heat up and quickly moved out from under his arm.

“S-sorry…”

“Hmm.”

 

~~~~

 

The rest of the trip back to Whiterun was quiet. I still felt embarrassed. Not only did he see me cry, I somehow got into his bed while I was asleep.

“Whelp, stop thinking about it.”

“Huh?”

“You were thinking about what happened last night, right?”

“Wha- how did you-?”

“You were looking at the ground and your face is red.”

“…oh.”

“Its fine, don’t worry about it. I won’t tell anyone. Our demons are ours alone to deal with.”

I didn’t know what to say. He was being nice to me.

“…thank you.”

He grunted and we walked in silence for a few hours.

“…so you were looking at my face instead of the road?”

“What?”

“When you said my face was red.”

He looked away, embarrassed. “No.”

“Oh? Then how did you notice?”

He grumbled, “Shut it, whelp.”

I chuckled, “relax, Vilkas. I’m just teasing you.”

“Carful, whelp. I could just tell everyone how you got in bed with me…”

I take it back. He’s still a jerk.

“Geez, you really can’t take a joke?”

“Only good ones.”

“Ouch.”

 

~~~~

 

Once we returned to Whiterun, we reported the mission to Kodlak. In the weeks following, things got a little better between me and Vilkas. Once and a while we would get jobs that happened to be in the same area and we’d travel together, and it seems like every week we’d go out drinking with Aela and Farkas. Every time I left the group to get more drinks, they would say something to Vilkas and upset him, but he’d try to hide it when I came back. He’s been nicer to me lately. Kodlak has been asking me if I would reconsider moving back, but I would decline, saying that’s the only reason we are getting along. I don’t really know for sure if that’s the reason, but it makes sense. I don’t really hate him anymore…

_I hate that I like you_.

 

~~~~

 

  I returned home earlier today after some dragon hunting. I’ve been making notes about my jobs and travels in my journal. Well… it’s not really a journal. I took the biggest more boring book I could find and washed out all the pages. This way, if someone was after me or what I knew, they would take the decoy journal I leave on the bedside table, and leave behind the real one. I was reviewing some of my entries upstairs when I heard the front door open. I assumed it was one of the companions since Lydia was no longer around. I went downstairs to see who it was.

“Hey, you’re supposed to knock-“

When I got to the bottom of the stairs, no one was there. I checked the front door, and it was still locked.

“That’s funny…”

The room was not very bright, as the fire was slowly dying. Something didn’t seem right. Someone has to be here. I acted as if I didn’t suspect anything, and put another log on the fire. I didn’t have my main weapons on me, but I did have a small steel dagger hidden in my sleeve. If someone was here, I planned to fight. I tried to focus on my hearing. Since this was a small house, it was likely that they were invisible, and while that makes it hard to see them, it doesn’t muffle their movements. When I felt the back of my neck tingle, I pulled out my dagger and swung around. Direct hit. They blocked with their arm, but I drew blood. Before the spell dissipated, I was hit on the back of the head. I didn’t think there would be two… I was dizzy and on the floor. While I was still conscious, I secretly snapped off my amulet of Arkay. Someone would notice. As they picked me up and started carrying me to the door, I made a final attempt to see who they were and tripped one of them. Unfortunately, they didn’t fall and instead punched me. Before I blacked out, I could have sworn I saw a black robe…

 

~Vilkas POV~

Just a normal, boring day. A day like this is best spent training. Some of our brothers and sisters were out on jobs, so the hall was quiet. I spent the morning training while I waited for a job to come up.

“Vilkas,” Skjor interrupted.

I put my sword away and turned to him. “Yes, Skjor?”

“I got a job for you. Maybe you could take our new sister along.”

“Alright…”

Skjor stood there, smirking.

“What?”

“You both used to be at each other’s throats, now you go out drinking together.”

“…so? What’s your point?”

“I think you’ve got a soft spot for her.”

I looked away, adjusting my bracers.

“That’s ridiculous. I treat her the same way I treat the others.”

“You didn’t before that Haafingar job.”

“We settled our differences.”

Skjor chuckled. “It seems like you did more than that.”

“…whatever.”

I left, going to Breezehome before he could make more jokes. On my walk over, I started thinking about that night…

 

~start flashback~

I stayed awake till she fell back asleep. Even though it’s none of my business, I wanted to ask her what she saw. She doesn’t seem to be scared of anything, and to see that look of terror in her eyes… I soon dozed off, but it wasn’t long before I felt something touching my arm. I woke up to find her laying next to me, obviously cold. With my mind still clouded by sleep, I shared my blanket with her, and she moved closer, using my shoulder as her pillow. She looked peaceful this time, so I didn’t dare wake her. I just…put an arm around her and held her. Seeing her this close made me feel strange.

_Gods, what have I gotten myself into?_

~end flashback~

 

I shook my head to push that thought away. Those kind of relationships among the companions are not exactly encouraged, and for some of us, dangerous. I knocked on her door. No response. I tried to open the door. It was unlocked… If it’s unlocked, she should have be home. As I went inside, I called out for her. Nothing. I checked upstairs. Both rooms were empty. Something seemed wrong. I checked back downstairs. Maybe there was a note she left behind. Nothing. Even the fireplace was dead. Something crunched under my foot. It was an amulet of Arkay…but as I picked it up to inspect it, I realized it was hers. Something was defiantly wrong. As far as I knew, she never took that off. Before I went back to the hall, I asked around the guard house if they had seen anyone leave the house. None of the guards remembered seeing anyone leave recently.

 

~~~~

 

“Kodlak, she’s missing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I checked her house. It looks as if no one has been there in the last couple days. I checked with the guards as well. No one has seen anyone enter or leave the house recently.”

“Vilkas, is it possible she is just out on a job?” Farkas chimed in.

“I considered that, but if that were the case, she would have left a note. Not only was there no note, her door was open, and I found this on the floor.”

I took her amulet out and showed them. Aela took it and sniffed it.

“Yeah, that’s hers. It smells like she never takes this off.”

“If someone indeed has taken our sister hostage, then we must find her. Aela and Farkas, you both will search the surrounding area. Its possible someone from one of the nearby farms saw her.”

Aela and Farkas both nodded and left.

“Vilkas, you will stay at her house in case she comes back.”

“What? But she didn’t-“

“We cannot rule anything out. I must go and inform the Jarl. She’s not just our sister in arms, she is also the Dragonborn.”

 

~~~~

 

Sitting around, waiting for someone you knew would not show up, was boring. The only way to pass the time was to read. She had a rather large collection of books. Some were books of old Nordic tales, riddles, and books in Argonian. She had books on every discipline of combat and school of magic. While she rarely used magic in combat, she once told me enjoyed reading books on magical theory. Once I read all that interested me, I checked upstairs again. I knew I probably wasn’t going to find anything new, but it didn’t hurt to look. She had chest filled with rare, enchanted weapons.

_Who would ever need this many?_

There were a couple of books in the nightstand. Both volumes of the Lusty Argonian Maid…and what looked like a journal. I picked up the journal as I sat on the bed. I really shouldn’t be looking through her personal things, but it could have a clue as to what happened to her. I carefully unwound the leather cord and opened the journal. …it was blank. I felt disappointed. I couldn’t deny I was worried. We all were. Neither Aela nor Farkas could find a trace of her, and no one has seen her in the last three days. I put the journal back and was about to leave, when I saw a rather large book on the table in the corner. There was a half-eaten sweet roll next to it. Something was telling me to read it, but I instead went to the guest room to sleep for the night.

 

~~~~

 

I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door. As I went downstairs, I had hoped it was someone that had news of her whereabouts. When I opened the door, there was a serious-looking woman standing before me.

“Oh. Is the Dragonborn home?”

“…who are you?”

“I’m a...friend of hers. Is she home?”

I sighed and offered her to come in.

“I’m afraid your friend has been missing for the last few days.”

She sat down near the fireplace, “missing?”

“Yeah. When was the last time you saw her?”

As I sat across from her, I offered her a drink, which she declined. She thought for a moment.

“I haven’t seen her since the party at the Thalmor Embassy.”

“What was she doing there?”

“…I’ve been investigating the recent dragon attacks, and I suspected the Thalmor had something to do with it, so I asked the Dragonborn to go to the party as a guest and find some information. She got a dossier from them, but not without killing quite a few guards.”

“That doesn’t seem like her. Considering her hatred of them, I don’t see her willingly doing something like that.”

“She had expressed a…disinterest in attending, but she went anyway when I explained that she was the only one who could do it.”

“Did she tell you why?”

“Unfortunately, all she said was that it had something to do with her past. I didn’t press the matter, since it wasn’t detrimental to the mission.”

This was starting to feel like more than just a random kidnapping. This had to have been planned.

“Do you think it’s possible the Thalmor knew who she was?”

“I don’t think so…why?”

“About a month ago, we had a job that took us up near the Embassy. She refused to go near the place. On the way back, we ran into a Thalmor patrol that was escorting a prisoner. The Justicar that was with them recognized her. When he mentioned someone was looking for her, she killed them all and freed the prisoner.”

I left out the ‘property’ part, since I didn’t think it was necessary. The woman cursed under her breath.

“If someone from the Thalmor was looking for her, she should have told me.”

“She probably didn’t say anything because, as you say, she was the only one who could complete the mission.”

She stood up, “well, I must go. If you find her or have any questions, you can find me at the inn in Riverwood.”

I followed her to the door, “who should I ask for?”

“Just ask for the attic room. Good luck in your search.”

 

~~~~

 

As it got later, I couldn’t help but think that the Thalmor had something to do with this. The only thing I couldn’t figure out was why they were looking for her and if they knew where she was, why they waited for so long. As I went back upstairs, I remembered the large book in her room. If anything, it could have something to do with her. As I sat down, I lit a candle and carefully looked over the book. It looked fairly old and it had strange pictures carved on the cover. I opened to a random page and began reading.        

_‘…I got the dragon tablet for the court wizard. He seemed very strange, but I at least got paid enough to spend another night at the inn…’_

I flipped to another page.        

_‘…I probably should start writing things down in case something happens to me… ‘_

_Yep. This was the real journal._

_‘…I had that dream again. It’s been months since I had it last. Maybe it was because of that patrol Vilkas and I ran into. I wish he didn’t see me like that. I don’t need him thinking I’m weak, although I’m sure he already does…’_

_Does she really believe that?_

I flipped to another page.      

  _‘…I know I’m being watched. It’s entirely possible that they know who I am, and are just waiting till I’m alone. I haven’t told anyone about my suspicions, especially Kodlak. This would only make him insist I move back into the companion hall, but I would rather risk being caught than risk their lives. If I am captured, I know what I have to do. I just hope I can see Hallas before the end…’_

_She knew she was being watched? And who exactly is Hallas?_

I felt my stomach twist at the name. I tried to ignore the feeling and continue reading.

_‘…I followed up on the missing Gray-mane, Thorald. It seems the Battle-born boys gave him to the Thalmor. My sources say he’s being held at the Northwatch Keep, just west of the Embassy. This is probably where they bring most of their suspected Talos worshiping prisoners…’_

I flipped to another entry.

_‘I had a good dream for once… it was the time Hallas and I snuck out. Against his fathers’ orders, we’d become close friends, if not siblings. He had been teaching me some basic spells in secret. I’ve known him my whole life and I trust him completely…but I think he knew I was hiding a secret from him. One time, he noticed some bruises on my neck and arms. I lied to him and said I was just clumsy.  But he knew. He looked sad… he had no sisters, and he was the youngest of three sons. His oldest brother already had a pet of his own. Hallas didn’t approve of keeping human pets. I guess that’s why he didn’t treat me as one. When others were around, he had to ignore me. But when we had some time to ourselves, we played and talked. I wanted to tell him the truth, but I knew that if his father found out I told someone, things would only get worse. I still think about him from time to time. He helped me escape, but he wouldn’t go with me. He knew he was risking both our lives…’_

_…human pet? But that doesn’t make sense. Maybe that woman knows more about this._

I left the house, book in hand, to find Aela returning from her search.

“Aela, I need a favor.”

“Can it wait? I need to report to Kodlak…”

“I might have a lead, but I need to travel to Riverwood to confirm something. Someone has to keep an eye on the house.”

“Farkas should be back, so I’ll send him over… what’s with the book?”

“Just…some light reading for the road.”

She just shrugged and went on to the companion hall.

I headed for the gate.


	5. Chapter 5

I arrived in Riverwood well after dark.

After finding the inn, I went inside to find the woman.

“Can I help you?” the innkeeper smiled.

“Yes, I would like the attic room, please.”

“Oh, I’m afraid we don’t have an attic room…but follow me please.”

I followed her to a room off to the side. When I opened the door, there was the woman. She was sitting in the corner, reading.

“Hello, can I help you?”

I closed the door. “I have a question…” I opened the book to the entry that mentioned ‘human pet’.

“This is her journal,” I handed it to her. “She mentions something about Thalmor keeping pets…”

She takes the book. “It’s not uncommon for any race to have pets…wait.”

She must have reread the entry a few times.

“…I have heard of the Thalmor keeping slaves, but…her entry doesn’t say she was a slave. ‘Pets’ are kept as a show of power, and by the sound of it, she’s been a ‘pet’ for most of her life.”

“That explains why she wants nothing to do with them.”

“And why she didn’t want to go to the Embassy. Had I known this, I wouldn’t have asked her.”

“Do you have any idea where they could be holding her?”

“No, but they will most likely take her someplace hidden and close to the border if the intent is not to kill her. Most slaves that escape, or try to, are killed and replaced.”

She flipped through a few more pages, I guess to find something I might have missed.

“Hmm…this location…”

She gets up and walks over to the bookshelf. As soon as she touches a book, the shelf slides over, revealing a hidden staircase that lead downstairs.

“Follow me.”

I followed her down to a room filled with armor, weapons, and supplies. In the center of the room was a table with a map of Skyrim and all its holdings.

“Here is where we are,” she pointed to Riverwood.

“Here is the Thalmor Embassy,” then she pointed to a small marker near Solitude.

“In her journal, she mentioned Northwatch Keep, which should be somewhere around here,” she circled an area just west of the Embassy, near the coast.

“This is just a guess, but if I was a Thalmor, I would bring her here, since it is close the Summerset Isle border, it’s near the Embassy, and it’s isolated."

I took the book back from her.

She sighed, “I would help, but the Thalmor are hunting for me as well.”

“Thank you, but I am more than capable of doing this myself.”

I left to head back to Whiterun. Now that I knew where she was, we can figure out a rescue plan.

~End Vilkas POV~

 

~meanwhile in an unknown location~

I felt so tired. When I woke up, I was gagged, blindfolded and chained to a wall. I could hear faint voices, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. The floor I was forced to sit on was cold and damp. I was given water when I first woke up, but it’s been… days, I think. They probably heard a rumor that I was the Dragonborn, which would explain the gag, but if they know that I know who captured me… why would they keep the blindfold on? Where am I?

 

~2 day earlier, somewhere in Summerset Isle~

 

~Hallas POV~

I was in the study with my father when there was a knock on the door. One of the servants answered it, and a messenger came in.

“Justicar Aediath,” the messenger bowed.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Urgent message for you, my lord.”

He handed a letter to my father. He signaled for the messenger to be dismissed and opened the letter at his desk. I was sitting by the window, reading. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my father grin.

“Well, well, well…”

“Good news, father?”

“It seems my pet has finally been captured…”

_Pet?_

I felt my heart drop into my stomach. I knew who he meant. I had hoped he wouldn’t find her. My father ordered his servants to prepare his things. I guess he plans to go see her, personally.

“Hallas!”

I stood up, “Yes, father?”

“You will be accompanying me. This will be excellent practice for when you receive your own pet.”

“…Yes, father.”

I excused myself to get ready for the trip.

_I have to help her get out of this…_

~End Hallas POV~

 

~present time~

I tried to feel around the chains that bound me, looking for a weak point. Nothing. I was starving and cold. The only thing I tell was in the cell with me, was a pot and some hay on the floor. I tried to think of anything to distract myself from the pain pounding in my head. A song. My mouth was still gagged, but I could hum. The only song that came to mind was ‘The Dragonborn Comes’. I propped myself up to lean against the wall, and started a slow beat by banging my shackles against the floor. My voice strained when I started humming. I could hear it echo in the cell. I didn’t stop when the song was over, I just kept repeating it. I guess I was annoying the guards.

“Quiet down!”

I ignored them and hummed louder. Apparently they didn’t like that, because they opened the cell and hit me in the face with something.

“Leave her alone, you Thalmor scum!”

“Stay out of this, Nord!”

I guess I wasn’t alone. By the sound of it, there was another prisoner here. A male Nord. The guard beat me a couple more times before threatening to do worse if I did it again, and left.

 

~~~~

 

I must have passed out, because when I woke up, I was being dragged out of the cell. I was brought to a bright room, and I could just barely see shapes through the blindfold. They forced my hands above my head and hung me from the ceiling. The blindfold was ripped off me. I had to close my eyes and slowly open them to adjust to the light. I wished my blindfold was back on. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw, standing in front of me.

…it was him.

Justicar Umbaril Aediath.

My former master.

 

~~~~

 

~Vilkas POV~

Farkas, Aela, and I set out to rescue our sister, but even if we traveled in our beast form at night, it would still take a couple days to reach Northwatch Keep.

_What if she was gone by the time we got there? What if she’s dead?_

“Hey, Vilkas?”

“…”

“Vilkas!”

“What?”

“Are you okay?”

“Hmm…yes, Aela.”

“Brother, we will get her back.” Farkas reassured.

“But will we get her back alive?”

Neither Aela nor Farkas answered.

We wouldn’t have been worried much if it was just mercenaries… but Thalmor? We all have heard the horror stories from soldiers… how they would torture prisoners for hours, bringing them to the brink of death, then healing them. They wouldn’t stop till they broke them, stripped them of all honor before killing them or turning them into slaves. If she was a pet of a Justicar, I couldn’t imagine what they would put her through.

~End Vilkas POV~

 

I screamed as the electricity rushed through me, making my body convulse.

“You will answer me! Who helped you escape?”

I stayed silent.

He shocked me again.

“Who helped you?”

“G-go to h-hell, m-monster.”

Again.

My body was starting to feel numb. At this point, I was too weak to do anything, not even use my dragon shout. I was making him frustrated. I wouldn’t let him break me. He shocked me again. My vision was getting blurry.

“Father, you’re gonna end up killing her.”

I forced myself to look up. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Hallas, you are supposed to be observing.”

“…She won’t be worth much if you kill her before she breaks.”

What is he saying? Everything sounds muffled.

“Fine. You take care of her. See that she’s ready for more interrogation later.”

The last thing I saw before I blacked out was someone familiar walking towards me.

 

~~~~

 

~Vilkas POV~

We made camp for the night in the forest to avoid any patrols. We kept watch in turns. I couldn’t sleep, so I took the first watch. I kept playing with the amulet of Arkay I found in her house. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. If anything happened to her, I don’t think I could forgive myself. After all, she moved out because of me. I never apologized for the way I treated her when she first arrived.

“…You care for her.”

Startled, I looked up to see Aela smirking at me.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“She’s our sister, of course I care.”

“You care more than that… you’re in love with her.”

I looked back down at the amulet in my hand, “what makes you think that?”

“Since the Haafingar job, you two have been spending more and more time together. You’ve been worrying about her non-stop, and you keep playing with her amulet.”

I quickly put the amulet away.

“It’s adorable, Vilkas.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Why?”

“Because…” I sighed, “even if she liked me, we couldn’t be together.”

“Because we are werewolves?”

“Yes.”

Aela chuckled. “That’s easily fixed.”

“I won’t ask that of her.”

“Well, you better do something before someone else gets her.”

With that, she went back to her bedroll. I won’t ask her to become one of us. I’ll admit, I’ve enjoyed the boons that come with beastblood…but this is a curse that was laid upon us…

 

~flashback to the Dragonborns’ birthday~

I helped her get back up after she fell on the stair. That girl had no sense of balance when she drank.

“heey, broody,” she giggled.

“What?”

“I haas a qu-que-qi somein to ask you.”

I helped her sit down on her bed.

“…what?”

“I heard… that you’r a wolf. Is that truue?”

_Where did she hear that?_

“Uh…I don't know what you're talking about. But if I were you, I'd hold my tongue.”

She stood up and moved closer to me.

“maybe you should hold it fo’ me.”

“And maybe you’ve had too much to drink.”

She smiled and… reached up and put her arms around me. I didn’t move. The wolf inside me wanted her to do more, but this was wrong. I felt her nose brush against my neck…and my chin.

“No...you're drunk and you don't know what you are doing.”

I carefully removed her arms from my neck… and I left.

~End flashback~

 

~End Vilkas POV~

 

~~~~

 

I woke up, lying in the cell again. This time, I wasn’t alone. My vision was still blurry but I could see someone leaning over me. They put their hand over my mouth to keep me from screaming.

“Don’t be afraid! It’s just me…”

I just layed there. The voice sounded so familiar, but my eyes were having a hard time adjusting.

“Do…do you remember me?”

I tried to push his hand off. He left go to let me speak.

“I-i…can’t see much.”

He sighed, “I think that’s because he went too far. Here, drink this. It should help.”

He held a bottle to my lips. As soon as I tasted it, I could tell it was a healing potion. I waiting a couple minutes for my vision to go back to normal before looking at him. I couldn’t believe what I saw. It was Hallas. I wanted to hug him and cry and beg him to help me escape… but I couldn’t. If I did, his father would know it was him that helped me.

“Hallas…”

He smiled for a brief moment. “I see your memory hasn’t been damaged.”

“…you look different.” He glanced over to the guard standing at the door to the cell. We had to be careful with what we said.

“I brought you some bread and water.”

“…I don’t want it.” He frowned.

“But you need to be ready for when father talks to you again.”

“No, he wants me to break. I can’t do that.”

As he picked up the food, he leaned close to my ear, “stay strong, no matter what,” and left the cell.

I propped myself up against the wall, near the door after he and the guard left down the hall.

“Hey.”

I looked into the cell across from me. It was the Nord I heard earlier.

“Hi…what’s your name?”

“My name is Thorold. Thorold Grey-mane.”

“Grey-mane? Oh yeah, I was asked to find you.”

“Oh really? Who are you?”

“…I’m called, the Dragonborn.”

He looked at me like he didn’t believe me. “Prove it.”

“I would, but not only are we in a very small space, I don’t have the strength to…”

I sighed and tried to think of one that would not hurt anyone. I looked around to make sure no one was nearby. I breathed, “FEIM” And I became as translucent as a ghost. After a few seconds, I turned back to normal.

“Wow…I-I guess you are the Dragonborn.”

“Yep…hurray for me.”

“Someone should be coming to rescue you, right?”

If someone was listening, I couldn’t tip them off.

“I don’t know…I don’t think anyone knows I’m gone.”

~~~~ 

 

~Vilkas POV~

We kept pushing ahead, taking shortcuts where we could. By nightfall, we could see Solitude in the distance. We still had a ways to go, but we were close now.

“We should rest for a while before continuing,” Farkas grunted.

“No,” I said, “we are almost there.”

“Vilkas, we won’t be able to help her if we are tired,” Aela argued.

“We need to rest for a while.”

I reluctantly followed and set up camp.

~End POV~


	6. Chapter 6

~A few hours later~

I was awoken from my sleep with the clang of the cell door, and dragged out. They hung me up in the middle of the room again. In walked a man that shouldn’t be even be breathing right now. I wanted nothing more than to watch the life leave his body, and hear him scream in agony.

“Did my pet have a nice nap? ”

“…”

I just glared at him. He slapped me.

“I asked you a question.”

I spit in his face. He growled as he wiped it off his face.

“My, my, that wasn’t very nice.”

He gestured for the guards to leave as he circled me.

“We shall have to punish you for this insolence…”

He ran his hand down my forearm slowly, tracing my curves. It made my skin crawl. I wanted to strangle him.

“Hmm…maybe I will forego the punishment if you tell me who helped you escaped.”

He leaned in close to my face, brushing his nose against my skin.

“Get your disgusting hands off me.”

He grabbed my jaw and made me look at him.

“You are in no position to make demands. You are still my property.”

“I am no one’s property!”

He hit me again before holding my jaw again.

“I own you! Or are you forgetting what I took from you?”

I wanted to cry. I still remembered the pain. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hallas standing in the far corner. Now would be the perfect time to show him why I left.

“…why don’t you tell me what you think you took?” I challenged.

He ran his hands down my body, resting them on my hips.

“Don’t you dare try to play the innocent victim? We both know that innocence belongs to me, and that makes you mine.”

I saw Hallas’ face twist in anger.

“…What did you do to her?”

He smirked, turning around to see his son glaring at him.

“So you are the one that helped her escape?”

Hallas walked closer, “I knew something was wrong, but I never imagined this...”

“I could have you imprisoned for this. Stealing property.”

Hallas stood next to me, “she is not an object, and she is a living being.”

His father laughed as he walked towards the table with tools used for torture.

“She is a pet, nothing more. Raised specifically for that purpose.”

“It’s an abhorrent practice.” He leaned against the table, crossing his arms.

“Tell you what, I won’t punish you for releasing my pet if you do one thing.”

This didn’t sound good.

“What is it?”

“You will be torturing her for as long as I say to. If you refuse, not only will you be punished, I will kill her.”

My heart leapt into my throat. I looked over at Hallas. He looked torn. Either he had to live with the memory of being my tormentor, or lose me.

“…do it Hallas.”

He looked at me, shocked and hurt. “w-what?”

“You saved me once, my brother…now it’s time I did the same.”

His father dragged him over to the table.

“You will start now.”

I saw fear and sadness in Hallas’ eyes. He didn’t want to hurt me, but he didn’t want to lose me.

“It’s ok…”

“I-I’m sorry… my sister…” After he said that, his hands glowed, and then I felt that electric pain wash through me.

 

~~~~

 

~Vilkas POV~

We hid out of sight near the keep. From what we could see, there were a couple guards in front of the gate, and at least three above the wall.

“What’s the plan?”

Farkas whispered.

“We will go in, in beast form. Vilkas will cover us.”

Aela answered. All we had to do was get through the front door, kill some elves, and get her out. Seems simple enough.

~End POV~

 

I screamed as my body convulsed. I had to bear it, though. Hallas stopped to replenish his magical before starting up again. This process repeated for a while… until his father said to stop.

“What is that noise?”

We all listened. It was the sound of fighting.

Hallas looked at me, “your friends?”

“y-you could s-say that…”

I looked over at my former master, “now you will get yours.”

He swore under his breath as he reached for his dagger.

“No, they want you, they will be disappointed.”

He was going to kill me. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain… but it never came. I opened my eyes to see him on the floor, paralyzed.

“Hallas, what did you do?”

He quickly removed my shackles and caught me as I fell to the floor.

“I bought us some time. You need to get out of here.”

“No,” I struggled to stand. “You and Thorold need to come with me.”

“I can’t. He will hunt us both.”

“Then he needs to die, Hallas.”

“but-“ The door at the end of the hall broke open.

“There she is!”

It was Aela, Farkas…and Vilkas.

Vilkas came up to me and Hallas, “Let her go!”

“Don’t hurt him! He helped me.”

They stared at each other for a minute before Vilkas offered his hand to me. I took it, and he pulled me up and he hugged me.

“Thank the gods, you’re safe…”

I felt my cheeks flush.

Aela cleared her throat, “what should be done about this guy?”

I looked back to see a bloody and beaten Justicar, and Farkas standing over him.

I looked at Hallas, “I know he’s your father, but you know he won’t stop.”

He bowed his head, “…I know. I would kill him myself for what he did…but…”

I carefully walked up to my captor. I almost pitied him.

“I suppose in a way, I should thank you. If not for you, I never would have met Hallas. He is everything you are not…”

He coughed up some blood. “You…you think that just by k-killing me that you will be free? Never. I will always own you.”

“You might have taken something that I can never get back, but I will be free of you.”

And with that, I killed him.

 

~~~~  

 

We helped Thorold escape. He gave me a letter to give to his mother before running off.

“Hallas…”

“Yes?”

“You could come with us. I have room to spare…” Hallas glanced at Vilkas.

“I have matters to take care of…maybe one day I will visit you.”

He gave me a gentle hug and kissed my forehead.

“Stay safe, little sister.”

“You too.”

“Hey, your name is Vilkas, right?”

Vilkas grunted, “Yeah?”

“Take good care of her for me.”

 

~~~~

 

We set up a camp, outside Solitude, so I could eat and rest. Aela laughed as I downed my 4th bowl of soup.

“Careful, you don’t want to throw it all back up.”

“Hey, I haven’t eaten in over 3 days…”

After I finished eating, I rested by the fire. Aela and Farkas went to gather supplies for the trip back, leaving just me and Vilkas.

“Hey,” Vilkas grunted as he sat next to me.

“Hey, Vilkas…”

He looked exhausted. He pulled out an amulet. My amulet.

“You dropped this…”

“At least you found my clue.”

I let him put it on me.

“Whelp…I have something I need to tell you.”

I looked up at him, “is everything okay?”

He looked away from me, towards the fire.

“I…I was worried about you. We didn’t know where you were or if you were still alive…”

“Well, how did you-“

“I found your journal.”

“…oh…”

“But that’s not my point...”He turned to me, “when I considered the fact that we might not find you alive, it hurt…”

He took one of my hands in his. “I’ve…come to care for you. More than I should…”

_He…he cares about me?_

“Please tell me if my feelings are misplaced...”

“Vilkas…” I squeezed his hand lightly, “They are not misplaced…”

He looked surprised. “Then you…”

“Yeah…”

He held me close and kissed me. It was gentle and unsure, but nice. Farkas cleared his throat, startling us and we broke apart.

“Now that that’s finally out in the open, we can get some rest.” Aela teased.

That night, Vilkas slept right next to me.

I didn’t have to hide anymore.

I was free.


End file.
